Process for packing thread cables



Apri 25, 1967 H. TAul. ETAL PROCESS FOR PACKING THREAD CABLES Filed June24, 1963A INVENTORS: HORST TAUl. ADOF )NE H LOW ATT 'Ys United StatesPatent O 3,315,433 PROCESS FOR PACKING THREAD CABLES Horst Taul andAdolf Wehlow, Kassel-Bettenhausen, Germany, assgnors to SpinnfaserAktiengesellschaft, Kassel-Bettenhausen, Germany Filed June 24, 1963,Ser. No. 289,957

Claims priority, application Germany, July 4, 1962,

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-21) The present invention is directed to a process forpacking cables formed from endless threads. More particularly, theinvention is directed to a process which is especially suited forpacking cables having a large number of individual threads.

Cables of endless threads that are produced in the chemical liberindustry have to be cut to certain lengths in order to produce staplefibers. Synthetic filaments which are produced in the chemical berindustry have smooth surfaces and are straight when they leave thespinning nozzles. Where it is desired to produce a product resemblingwool from such fibers the synthetic lilaments are both cut and crimped.The crimping operation increases the area taken up by the individualthreads and causes the finished products to resemble wool more closelywith respect to their handle. The cables of endless threads are fed to amachine which converts the material directly into a spinnable bandconsisting of staple bers which can be further processed in a stretchmachine or direct spinner, in which process the parallel position of thebers in the cable is retained after the fibers are divided. The fibersare divided by tearing, with or without localization of the breakageplace, or by squeezing off or cutting the threads.

The cables that are to be fed to the cutting machines are normallyplaced by distributing devices in rectangular or round containers. Thisis accomplished by using snorkel type distributing funnels which pick upthe endless threads and introduce them by controlled swinging of theirdistributing end into the receiving containers which are arranged eitherin a stationary or movable manner beneath the distributing end.

The known distributing devices have not proven satisfactory becausedespite complicated control means, the depositing is not accomplishedwith suiiicient uniformity. It has been found that the area around theouter edge of the depositing containers has not been filled, and thathollow spaces form which lead to low bulk weights of the containers andto thread snarlings in transport. Cable receiving and distributingdevices also are somewhat complicated and require constant maintenance.Moreover, the cable is opened, especially when the container is beingtransported at the turning edges. The friction on the depositing devicesand the resulting static charge of the spinning material likewisepromotes the tangling and intermeshing of the cable threads. For thesereasons, time after time during the removal of the cable from cartons orcans, tangled cable layers-so-called curtains-are pulled out whichresult in troublesome machine stoppages. Moreover, during the passage ofthe defective thread cables to the cutting head there occur liberaccumulations with uneven cut lengths as Well as nit formations andnoppings of the accumulated spinning bands. One of the requirements forthe friction free processing of spinning is the perfect running of theendless threads into the converter machines which hitherto could not becarried out in a perfect manner.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a processfor packing cables of endless threads which overcomes the defects setout above.

ICC

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description of the invention taken in connection withthe attached drawing.

If the drying and fixing of the crimp of cable 1 of endless threadstakes place in shaft 2 and, if the shaft is allowed to run out into ahorizontal extension 3 which is equal in cross-section and open at thetop, the density of the packed layers emerging from the shaft, can beregulated by means of control 4 ahead of the shaft, and the packedlayers can be allowed without further contact to enter a transparentflexible tubing 5 which has a cross-section corresponding to the shaftcross-section. The filling tube, endless or cut into suitable lengths,whose one end of the latter may also be closed, is wholly or partlyslipped over the extended shaft end and slides onto a following plane 6or already lies partly on the following plane. After the desired amountof cable has been thrust into tubing 5 the cable is severed and the endsinsured against fanning out. This can be done in various ways, forexample, by knotting, tying olf, pasting, gluing, jamming, and the like.The filled tube is now drawn entirely onto the packing table and isclosed.

The packing of the thread cable by the subject method avoids thedrawbacks which are present in the prior art processes. The subjectprocess has a number of advantages with respect to the manufacture,transportation, and processing of the cable. The cable produced in thechemical fiber industry is conducted as a preformed product into a shaftin the make up and acclimatized for further processing into a tubedesignated for removal in running direction and adaptable to desiredlengths. The cable remains closed in itself, can be stored as long asdesired, and can be kept protected against climate and free of dust inthe filling or emptying of the tubing. Since the filled tube isflexible, it can be packed in a satisfactory manner in transportationcontainers. Because of the skintight envelopment of the cable, no bertanglings occur because of displacement of the packing layers in thetubing are prevented. For this reason, packing units can be stacked in ahighly advantageous manner whereby an optimum space utilization isobtained in storage and transport. The processer, therefore, obtains apreformed, climate-protected product as a closed cable unit with desiredrunning lengths. The processer then feeds these cable units to theconverter.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention ashereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit andscope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed asare indicated in the appended claim.

We claim:

A process for packing a cable of individual threads which comprises:passing a folded cable of parallel, wet, threads downwardly through ashaft; drying said folded cable in said shaft; pressing said cablethrough a horizontal extension of said shaft and into a exible tubedrawn over said extension with the folds in said cable lyingperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said exible tube; severingsaid cable; securing the ends of said cable to prevent fanning out; andthereafter closing said tube to provide a substantially air-tightpassage.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,353,613 9/1920Renton 53--116 1,760,419 5/1930 Lehmann 53-116 X 2,426,749 9/ 1947Sebastian 53-255 2,863,208 12/1958 Drummond et al. 28*21 X TRAVIS S.MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

